Gill Sunsail Racing Series – Round 3

This past weekend saw Round 3 of the 2012 Gill sponsored Sunsail Racing
Series with 16 boats entered the racing saw new and old faces making up the
entrants. The wind was a pleasant, offshore NE F3-4 providing some tricky and
shifty upwind legs for the Saturday

Race 1 course started in the vicinity of Craft Insure off of Ryde, with an
upwind leg straight across the Solent to Browndown. It was all about playing
the shifts and with a big port tack lift helping those on the left of the beat.
It was Richard Hole who took advantage early on to take the lead, which he
built throughout the race to win convincingly, followed home by Charles Line in
2nd and Neil Pritchard Meaker in 3rd.

Race 2 again started at Craft Insure, but with the wind having swung slightly
back to the north and dropped to around 8-10kts. Richard Hole again showed the
fleet the way round, again with Charles Line pushing him to finish 2nd and Ben
Grosman rounding out the top 3.

Sunday morning dawned with not a cloud in the sky and a stiff NNE at around
15kts, which continued to build and gust upwards to 25kts by mid-afternoon.

Race 3 and in a decent breeze, the fleet got away at the first attempt from
a line off of Craft Insure, with a similar course, but shorter around the
central eastern Solent.

Yet again Richard Hole took an early lead which he held through to the
finish, ensuring the overall win in the process. A great battle ensued behind
with 3rd, 4th and 5th places only being decided a few hundred meters from the
finish line.

At the end of race 3 it was Richard Hole taking 1st place, followed by Neil
Pritchard-Meaker and 3rd Terry Hunt.

Race 4 and the PRO brought in the no spinnaker rule, wisely made after a few
big broaches towards the end of race 3 and with the wind still increasing. A
zig zag course took the fleet around the Solent to a finish off of Haslar. Neil
Pritchard-Meaker took the gun, stopping Richard Hole from taking a clean sweep
who finished 3rd. 2nd place going to Simon Froom.

The top 3 progress through to the final in November and Round 4 will
hopefully take place in the warmer climates of July over the weekend of the
14th &15th..